Blog

Written by: Elizabeth Roberts
8/5/2010 8:45 AM 

What an amazing night in Providence last Saturday--when residents and visitors alike were treated to a free performance of the Rhode Island Orchestra & Philharmonic, Opera Providence and Festival Ballet Providence together on one stage for a special Waterfire evening!  It was a brilliant combination of art, music, song and dance, all set to the inimitable sight and smell of 100 burning braziers on our downtown rivers.

Although I've long supported the arts because of my passion for the arts, as a public official I came to appreciate the profound compounding effect the arts have on our local economy. Saturday night was a primary example. And it doesn't stop with Waterfire-- there are dozens of performances and events in the arts happening all over the state in any given weekend. Together, they all contribute to ticket sales, program advertising, dinners on the town, shopping, transportation, hotel stays and other related expenses that employ hundreds of people and pour $100 million dollars annually into our local businesses.


As Lt. Governor, I have used my position to create more visibility, support and funding for our thriving "creative economy" because of its contribution to our state's financial well-being.  Naturally, I was honored and elated to learn that I would receive a Public Leadership in the Arts Award from the organization, Americans for the Arts, at last week's National Lieutenant Governors Association meeting in Biloxi, MS. Being nationally recognized as a champion for the cultural economy in Rhode Island speaks volumes on the critical importance of small businesses in the arts sector as a driver of our state's economy.

One only needs to "step out" on a Saturday night in Rhode Island to realize how true that statement really is!
Wisconsin Lt. Governor Barbara Lawton (center) with Americans for the Arts Jay Dick and me.